Class Description

Forget arbitrary plot points and formulaic three-act structure.

In this four-week course and workshop, acclaimed author David Corbett will guide you in the craft of building plot from strong characters with profound, mutually incompatible needs and desires.

David has written acclaimed, award-winning books with incredibly rich characters and riveting plots, like The Devil's Redhead,Blood of Paradise, and The Mercy of the Night. He's an immensely-talented teacher, with the ability to deliver writing lessons in a clear, in-depth manner.

He recently took his teaching to the next level with the release of The Art of Character: Creating Memorable Characters for Fiction, Film, and TV. This guide has already earned a ton of accolades—every one of them deserved.

In this course, you'll learn how to orient the reader in the story world, with an exploration of setting as a revelation of character. Next you'll learn how to create the Crisis/Calling, by understanding the necessity to act on the part of the characters, and thus creating the opportunity or misfortune that kicks off the story. You'll then move on to the various ways to intensify tension, until the main characters are obliged to make the fundamental discovery that changes their understanding of themselves and their world, leading to the climactic transformation that concludes the story.

Each week includes a lecture, a writing assignment, to be critiqued by David and your peers, as well as ample opportunity for discussion.

What This Class Covers

Week 1 - Orienting the Reader

Setting is the geography of character arc. Backstory is Behavior. And the seeds of the main characters’ internal, external, and interpersonal struggles exist from the very start.

Weel 2 - Creating the Crisis or Calling

The opportunity or misfortune that compels the characters to act poses the fundamental story questions that will be continually addressed but never answered until the climax.

Additional Info

LitReactor offers a unique approach to a writing education: You study what you want, when you want, at your own pace. We bring in veteran authors and industry professionals to host classes covering a wide range of topics in an online environment that’s interactive and flexible. You get detailed feedback on your work and take part in discussions in a judgement-free zone. It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or an experienced writer, our workshops are about working together to achieve your writing goals.

Where do classes take place?
Entirely online. So, anywhere you have Internet access.

Are there certain times when the whole class needs to "meet" online?
Nope. Our students come from all over the globe. Everything is posted online and accessible 24/7. (We do occasionally schedule phone chats, but try to reach a consensus on timing.)

What does a typical class consist of?
It varies, but nearly all our classes include weekly lectures, homework assignments, peer reviews, critiques from instructors, and discussion forums.

How much experience do you need to take a class?
Beginner or pro, everyone is welcome. We encourage all skill levels.

And click here to explore a sample class that shows our layout and features.

About Your Instructor

David Corbett is the author of five novels: The Devil’s Redhead, Done for a Dime (a New York Times Notable Book), Blood of Paradise (nominated for numerous awards, including the Edgar), Do They Know I’m Running ("a rich, hard-hitting...

Testimonials and Acclaim

"The Character of Crime class with David Corbett was wonderful. Not only did I gain from identifying my protagonist and antagonist, it got me to take a closer look at the sub-plots of my story." —Kaley F., on a previous LitReactor course

"David's LitReactor class allowed me to learn a huge amount from an incredible teacher. I went into the class with a book I was ready to give up on and came out with a book with fully rounded characters and a solid structure that I feel confident I can finish using the knowledge David gave me." —Larry G.

From a recent class on writing characters hosted by UCLA Extension:

"David is extremely knowledgable, with an encyclopedic background in literature and film. He works hard on student critique and is committed to his class. Classmates were generous and supportive, led by David's approach to the online classroom. I've taken many writing classes through UCLAX and I found David's class to have been particularly eye opening and feel I've had a breakthrough by reading his lectures and paying close attention to his feedback."

"David... really challenged us to expand our characters, to take them apart and analyze their lifes. He provided valuable tools. The lectures he provided will continue to help me develop strong characters. He provided very insightful feedback very quickly."

"The topic of character development begins and ends with David Corbett’s The Art of Character. This is the book on the subject, destined to stand among the writings of John Gardner, Joseph Campbell, and the others of that select few whose work is fundamental to understanding the craft of storytelling." —Craig Clevenger, author of The Contortionist’s Handbook

"David Corbett has written a wise, inspiring love letter to all the imaginary creatures inside our minds—so we might conjure them whole on the page. I predict that massively underscored copies of The Art of Character will rest close at hand on writers’ desks for many years to come." —Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild

“Indispensable. Few are the writer’s guides that are written as beautifully, cogently, and intelligently as a well-wrought novel (or a well-rendered character) itself. This is one of those books.” —Megan Abbott, Edgar Award-Winning author of The End of Everything and Dare Me

"Corbett shares his secrets for making characters come to life on the page, from presenting their back stories and motivations to crafting memorable dialogue and great scenes that flesh out characters and move the plot forward at a compelling, tension-fueled pace. Corbett has a clear and elegant style that’s easy for would-be writers to absorb.” —The Writer Magazine, in selecting The Art of Character as one of the Top 13 Writing Guides of 2013